Cheick Kongo vs. Tony Johnson
The fight was a possible title eliminator for the vacant Bellator heavyweight title. The first round began. They clinched early. Kongo working knees to the thighs early. Working some to the body as well. 4:00. Johnson replying to the legs. Kongo thinking standing guillotine. Working knees to the body, one hit the groin inevitably. Ugh. "This has plagued Cheick Kongo throughout his career. Inevitable." Indeed. They continue. Kongo lands a counter right. He lands a right, eats three. 3:00. Johnson works a double, stuffed, clinch. Johnson knees the leg. He lands a right inside. Kongo knees the body. Another. Another. 2:00. Another. "Knee Ton!" Another knee from Kongo. Big John finally breaks 'em up after a bit. Kongo lands a body kick and a right. 1:00. Johnson lands an overhand right. Kongo stuffs a double to the clinch. Kongo works a double himself. Kongo works hard for it and gets it hard, mounts, right elbow, a couple rights, a few short right elbows, a left elbow, a couple rights, right elbow. Left elbow. 15. A few right elbows, more. A few right hammerfists. Johnson clinging on. R1 ends, 10-9 Kongo. R2 began. Kongo lands an inside kick. Johnson gets a double to half-guard. So it begins. Johnson mounts, rights under. 4:00. Johnson gets the back, rights under, one hook, the other. He has the choke. Lost it. He has the choke on the chin, lost it. He works for it again. Kongo defending well. Johnson lands a couple rights. 3:00. Johnson still working for it. He has it on the chin. Kongo defending well. A couple rights. Johnson works for it. He tries the other arm under the chin, can't seem to find it. A couple rights mostly blocked. A couple rights. 2:00. Some boos. More. Johnson works for the choke, lost it. Kongo has kept trying little right elbows to the left thigh. 1:00. Kongo trying to turn to guard. Johnson lands on top in mount. Kongo holding him tight. Johnson lands a left elbow, another. 35. Hard left elbow. Another. 15. Blocked right elbow, lands another, left elbow. R2 ends, 10-9 Johnson. Lol just realized from Reddit that Kongo is 41. Geez.. R3 began. Kongo stuffs a double, manages to stay up to the clinch, knees the thigh, escapes a standing guillotine. Kongo works a double. Johnson working right hammerfists to the body and defending. Kongo works hard and gets it to half-guard, 4:00. Short left elbow. Two more. Right elbow to body, left elbow. A couple vicious right elbows to the body. A couple left elbows. A few rights to the body. 3:00. "Gotta work!" Johnson looking to stand. Kongo keeping him down. Jeering boos. Kongo knees the body. They're just sitting against the cage. Ref wants work. Johnson working to stand, 2:00. Kongo keeping him down. He's holding a double. Boos. Johnson stands defending the double. Kongo working hard. He gets it with authority to half-guard. Right elbow to the body. Another. Another. Left elbow. 1:00. Johnson grimaces. Left elbow and another from Kongo. Ref wants work. Three right elbows to the body from Kongo. Four right elbows to the left thigh. Another. 15 with a left elbow, another. Boos. Four right elbows from Kongo, three more. R3 ends, 10-9 Kongo. 29-28 Kongo clearly IMO. "You've got a champion's heart," Kongo's corner tells him. 28-28, 29-28 twice majority decision for Kongo. They shake hands and hug.